Machine gun and automatic small arms



Feb. 23, 1932. c. A. L AwoN Erm..

MACHINE GUN AND AUTOMATIC SMALL ARMS Filed Jan. 13. 1931 Patented Fe.23, i932 g CARL ALFRED LABSSON AND PERCY RE'UB ASSIGNOBS TO'VICKERS-ABMSTRDNGS BRITISH. COMPANY mi meson, LIMITED, or

or wns'rMiNsTER, ENGLAND, wEsTMINsTm, ENGLAND, A

MACHINE GUN AND AUTOMATIC SMALL ARMS Application liled January 13, 1981,Serial No. 508,403, and in Great Britain February 10, 1930.

This invention relates to machine guns and automatic small arms of thegas operated type in which the operating piston connected to the breechmechanism moves rearwardl against the resistance of a helical recoilspring which reacts to move the mechanism to the forward oriiringposition.

The chief object of the present invention is to provide improvedconstructions of machine guns and automatic small arms of the above typeinwhich a, buiier spring is provided or absorbing excess recoil energyin the moving parts.

In ordei` that the said invention may be clearly understood and readilycarried into effect, the same will now be described more fully withreference to the accompanying drawings in which Figr' 1 is a verticallongitudinal section of the rear part of a gun provided with oneconstructional form of our improvements, and

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of another constructional form of ourimprovements.

VA is the gun barrel, B is part of the gun' casing, C is the gasoperated iston rod, D is the striker post carried by t e said pistonrod, E is the breech bolt which is rocked into and out of its engagingposition with a portion B2 of the gun casing by the co-operation ofprojections D1 on the striker post with inclined or cam surfaces E1 inthe bolt as is well understood, F is the recoil spring and G is thebuier spring disposed behind and in line with the recoil spring F.

In the construction shown by Figure 1 the rear part of the recoil springF surrounds a member F1 slidably mounted in a part BL attached to thegun casing; the rear end of this spring bears against a collar F2 on thesaid slidable member and its front end bears against .the rear end ofthe operating piston rod C which has a key CX on each side engaging in aguideway C1 in the gun casing. The

member F1 has a rearward stem F3 which passes through a hole in the rearwall of the part B1 and the buier spring G, which is made of stouterconstruction than the recoil spring F, is disposed around this stem withits front end in contact with the rear surface of the collar F2 and itsrear end in contact with the front surface of the rear wall of the partB1. The front part of the member F projects a suitable distance beyondthe front of the part B as shown.

During normal working the rearward movement of the piston rod C on firinthe gun compresses the recoil spring F and the member F recedes slightlyunder the pressure of the recoil. spring which is transmitted to thebuffer spring G through the collar F2 both these springs then re-actingto return the parts to the forward position. During such normal workingthe rear end of the piston rod C does not reach the projecting front endof the member F. If, however, there should be excess energy in themovinnn parts during their rearward movement, tle rear end ofthe pistonrod C strikes the projecting end of the member F and the spring Gthereupon comes into operation as a buifer spring. A separate buii'erspring E2 is provided for the breech bolt E.

In the modified construction according to Figure 2 the rear end of therecoil spring F is disposed Within the buffer spring G and bears againsta collar H on a guide rod H1 for the former spring, the collar in turnbearing against the rear wall of the aforesaid part B1. The rod H1 litswithin a hole in the piston rod C and the front end of the spring Fenters the said piston rod and bears against a shoulder'as shown. Therea-r end of the buffer spring G is in contact with the rear Wall of thepart B1 and its front end bears against a collar or sleeve H2 slidablvcarried by the said part with its front portion projecting there rom asshown. Thus when there is eX- cess energy in the recoiling parts therear end of the piston rod C strikes the collar or sleeve H2 and thisbrings the buffer spring G into operation.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is yl. In a machine gun or automatic small arm of the gasoperated type, the combination with the breech mechanism, of anoperating piston, a helical recoil spring which resists the rearwardmovement of the breech mechamism and reacts izo move che letter to thefor- 'Werd or firing position, e buer spring of siente-r cone'ructionhan seid recoil spring seid buHer spring being arranged cl3-axially withrespec*J to the recoil spring, a. ide rod for said recoi spring the rear-en of said 'rod bearing against a part attached to theun casing, ecoller on seid rod the rear en of seid recoil spring bearingagainst'said coller, i@ and e sleeve slidabl7 carried by seid part endbearin against said hurler spring which is arrange around the reer endof the recoil spring and with its rear end bearing against said part,the front end of seid sleeve prol@ jecting beyond said per@ so that itcen be moved rearward by the rear end of the rod cf seid operatingpiston in order to compress -the buffer spring.

2. in e machine gun er automaic small erm of the ges operated type, thecombination "with the breech mechanism, of an operating piston rod forseid mechanism, e helical reeoil spring arranged behind and in line withthe piston rod7 e, buffer spring oi? stouter construction than seidrecoil spring, said buier spring being arranged behind end in line Williseid recoil spring.; e. siideble member, a ceiler on seid member againstthe front sur- ;ece oi which 'the rear end of the recoil spring beersand against the rear surface of which ehe freni; end o1? ehe buffer sVring bears, said member being arranged te e struck by the reelq end ofthe operating piston rod when there is excess recoil energy in themoving parte, und e rearward stem on said member, seid siem passingthrough the buHer spring und hrcugh e, hole in e pari; attaehed to thegun ageing 'L LTRED LA RSSGN. REUBEN HGSUN,

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